Holiday Happiness

**Postscript before the blog -- as I read back over this blog, it dawned on me how wonderful my life is. God is so good!!

Can I just say again how much I love Thanksgiving?? I mean, I really, really love it. I told someone "What could be better? Family/Friends, food, and football!" But it's really so much more than that.

Let me back up and tell you about our weekend before Thanksgiving. We went up to NC, to see our friends the Pundts. If you've read my blog before, you've definitely heard their names. Larry was our chaplain in Germany, Renee one of my dearest friends, Ari was Grace's first "same age" girlfriend, and Davis has a boy crush on Ethan. The Pundts will be leaving Fort Bragg after the New Year to go suffer for Jesus and the Army in Garmisch, Germany. It won't be suffering, really, except it will just be a long way from home.

We went to see them because we needed a little more time with them before they left. We arrived on Saturday, then went to Jim's Gems to pan for gold and cool rocks. The bigger kids really enjoyed it; Davis just wanted to play in the water, which was not advised because it was about 40 degrees outside!! We went to dinner, then to Fresh Market (like Whole Foods...great!), then home for bed. Sunday, I don't think we really did anything with them. Oh, I had a stomach episode but what's a trip to friends without one of those???

Sunday evening, we were blessed to have dinner with our friends, Sean and Chris Heidgerken. They were here over Labor Day so we were glad to see them again. They are some of my (Sara) oldest Army friends, some of the first people I ever knew in this Army life. They met me when I was completely green and naive about the Army. I've grown, right, Chris? They just moved into a huge and beautiful new home through Fort Bragg and we are so happy for them. After years of living in crap on-post housing, it's always great to see someone get a good house!! We totally enjoyed our night with them and are looking forward to our next visit.

Monday, we met Larry at the dining facility at the hospital. That evening, we had an adult date at a cool restaurant, The Mashhouse. Great beers there and a great deal on Monday night for dinner: appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine or pitcher of beer or root beer for $40. Can't beat that!! Then we went to see "Quantum of Solace" which the Pundts thought was a bust and we were at least entertained. What can I say? They are smarter and more refined than we are!!

On Tuesday, we headed home. We stopped at Cracker Barrel and the kids ate so good. It's refreshing when you pay for a meal that your kids actually eat! When we got home, I got busy cleaning because I had less than 18 hours to prepare for my dad's arrival. Long story short, I got the house clean and some cooking done before Dad arrived about 11 am on Wednesday.

Once Dad arrived, we hit the ground running. We took him to The Citadel first, which he said was more like the A&M he went to than Aggieland is now. Then we drove further down the peninsula to show him old Charleston. We ended up on the tip of the peninsula at Battery Park. It was awesome to take Dad around. Everywhere we went, he stopped to read all the monuments and asked questions about Charleston history. I was embarrassed not to know some things!! I'll learn more before he returns!

After that, we went to eat at Hymans. We've heard that is a tourist trap and yes, it's built for the tourists, but we really liked it! The two brothers who own it, each came by our table to make sure everything was okay. Then, there was an older man who came around with a certificate for kids that, if they ate all their food, they could get either ice cream or popcorn at the end of the meal. Talk about incentive!! Dad had his first lowcountry food, boiled peanuts, grits, Cajun-style shrimp, a bite of my crabcake. He said he liked it and I think he did! Then we headed to our house.

Later that day, we had to go to Wal-Mart, of course, for Dad to load up on his salsa ingredients. I had to get some last minute things, so Grace and I took him. I spent ten minutes walking up and down the same aisle, looking for those two twerps as they were off getting toys!! I was so mad!! We came home and Dad commenced to make his cold hot sauce. Yum!! I also continued to make things for our feast.

Thursday morning, we got up and got going. Turkey breast in, etc. Then we went to the closest fire station and delivered a homemade apple pie to the firemen to say thank you for their service to our community. That was Grace's original idea but she acts like she didn't know she said it. Why is it your kids try to act like you make up stuff??? Anyway, when Grace mentioned wanting to do something on Thanksgiving to give back, I thought the pie idea would be easy. I can't wait for the day my kids are old enough that we can go serve at a shelter or soup kitchen before we have our family meal. I hope to nurture Grace's benevolent spirit!

So, after the pie delivery, we came home and I got in gear. Dad commented that we were going to have enough food for 12 people and I am pretty sure he was right! I made stuffing, giblet gravy and an egg custard pie for the first time and they all turned out pretty well. Next time, I will tweak them a little, but I think they were fine. The men ate them and that's all I needed!! The kids lapped up my homemade cranberry sauce which was hilarious! I think Grace might have a new favorite sandwich: turkey and cranberry sauce on a roll. She's had it twice since Thanskgiving Day.

We watched the Cowboys play, then the Aggies. Not going to comment on that last one. The score was not as ugly as the game really was or could have been. Jason Karnes, do you agree?

Oh, one more thing. While I was cooking, getting ready, etc. Dad would go outside and play with the kids. I can't tell you what a great grandad he is and it's really a joy to watch. He was kicking the balls with the kids, letting Grace lead him around, showing him the ins and outs of our backyard and neighborhood. Truly, I can't tell you how happy it makes me watch him with Grace and Davis.

Friday, we got up and had a breakfast casserole which was made better with the homemade hot sauce. Then we headed out again. We took Dad to see the Atlantic Ocean at Folly Beachwhere Grace had a shoe/sock crisis. Sometimes, I just want her to go barefoot to keep the drama to a minimum! Which is what she did when we went to Angel Oak. Dad says the trees down here must be ancient because he's never seen live oaks this tall.

We ended up our sightseeing with a stop at one of my favorite places: Stono Market. It's a combination veggie/fruit market and homecooking restaurant. We stuffed ourselves on good ole food, purchased a couple of Christmas ornaments (Dad said it was the rustic version of Cracker Barrel and I think he's right!), then came home to enjoy the last few minutes of Dad's visit. His delivery to the airport was excruciating, like it always is. Dad's visits are always perfect in time; he leaves later than he wanted (he's a homebody), but he always leaves us wanting more. Isn't that the best kind of visit?

Longer Blog Soon!

Okay, I know I need to blog, but I just don't have the time right now. And I probably won't have time for the next few days. We just returned yesterday from a trip to NC to see the Pundts and the Heidgerkens. This morning, my dad comes into town for Thanksgiving. So the past 18 hours have been a blur of cleaning, organizing, cooking, etc. I promise to blog when he leaves!!

Great Date!

Jasen and I had a great date last night. We went to the Terrace Theater, which is an independent movie house. They get all the best art/independent films and all the different movies you can't find anywhere else. They've been running "Lawrence of Arabia" for the last few weeks and we went and saw it last night. I am SO glad we did! First off, Jasen got to see the Terrace (I had been there previously for a British film Jasen wasn't interested in) and he really liked it. They have cool candy, wooden-backed chairs, small-ish sized theaters, and beer and wine! Anyway, I was glad that Jasen liked it as much as I did.

I am really glad we got to see the movie the way it was intended: on the big screen. Because I just recently finished a book on Gertrude Bell, who is sometimes called the "female Lawrence of Arabia," I've been anxious to see this epic film. There is just something about seeing a movie like that on the big screen. Jasen and I both agreed that it wouldn't have had the same affect if we had seen it on our little TV at home. Yes, our TV is still pretty small!

Again, because of my recent readings, I've been really curious to see how Lawrence was portrayed. First off, Peter O'Toole looked nothing like Lawrence. And there were somethings in my Gertrude Bell book that were left out about Lawrence. From her perspective, he was much less "happy-go-lucky" pompous and much more "the rest of y'all are stupid" pompous, if that makes sense. He was smart, but knew it in a not-so-nice way. I thought the movie kind of glazed over that.

We both laughed at Obi-Won Kenobi playing King Faisal with a horrible beard and fake nose. Anthony Quinn's nose was even worse!! Omar Sharif was great, though.

Also, curious that the movie made little mention of the work people like Gertrude Bell also did in the area of Arab revolution.

Some of the parts of the movie, Jasen laughed out loud because it reminded him of his time in Iraq. There are some things about Arabs that are still very true; they haven't changed much from the early 1900s to now. For instance, toward the end of the movie, Lawrence is trying to get them to council themselves. Good luck getting two warring tribes to agree on anything! Especially if their disagreements go back centuries! They'd rather watch the whole city of Damascus burn rather than help each other.

Again, Jasen just kept laughing and at one point had tears in his eyes because we're trying to make them like us but we KEEP ignoring one big fact: ARABS ARE NOT LIKE US!!! No matter how we've tried throughout the years (Crusades, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.), it hasn't happened yet. Still we try to make them like us. Wonder if we'll ever stop? Wonder why we care? Jasen in essence said "Once a Bedouin, always a Bedouin."

Breakthrough!

We've had a potty breakthrough!! Davis is consistently using the potty (he doesn't tell us, we just take him!) and using the big one, at that! Yea!!! I'm good with taking him every half hour to an hour as long as we don't have to buy more diapers!

Grace is doing well. She continues to love school, Tae Kwon Do, and Mrs. Branch.

Finally, Jasen and I are going to have a date night! After two previous attempts failed, we are going out tonight. We aren't going to be able to do all that we wanted (Jasen desperately wants some oysters), but we are going to do one thing we've desired. An independent theater here is showing "Lawrence of Arabia." I've never seen it and Jasen's only seen part of it, so we're going tonight to see it. I am excited to see it on the big screen. And this theater has the coolest candy. Yes, I will be taking a nap this afternoon, since we'll be up until almost 11!

Last night, we watched "Casino Royale" which was awesome, if I do say so myself. Jasen had already seen it, but I needed to see it in preparation for seeing "Quantum of Solace."

We're heading to NC this weekend, to spend time with the Pundts. Yea! Sadly, they'll be leaving Fort Bragg for Garmisch, Germany, after New Year's so we must spend as much time as we can with them.

Friends or No Friends

Jasen and I got into a pretty deep conversation on Saturday. I begged out of the ROTC tailgate party because #1 Davis was up and down on Friday night #2 It was muddy and #3 I was tired and didn't want to go. Jasen returned in a funk because the other couples were there, sitting around enjoying themselves and Jasen felt like we are outside the group. It made me sad for him, but in my initial defense, I pointed out that we'd never been to a tailgate where we all sat down to visit. Usually, the guys are talking/drinking, kids are getting into rocks/mud/etc., and the wives are drifting in and out of conversations.

Anyway, this situation led Jasen and I to go deeper about friendships and what we are looking for here. Jasen is used to being in "the" group. It's not that we have been the most popular people at his previous duty assignments, but because of his work role or friends I've made, we've been in with the people we've really liked and wanted to be with.

At Fort Riley and here, Jasen has really wanted me to get out there and make friends immediately. He has wanted me to accept every invitation, every playdate, etc. He was going on our previous assignment, in Germany, where we were so involved, had lots of friends, and were really busy.

I can't explain it, but at Fort Riley, God gave me very clear discernment about who I should be friends with. Because of Jasen's concerns that I wasn't making friends fast enough (and not just his), I made friends with a few people I KNEW were not who I needed to be friends with. Those relationships didn't turn out, but the ones I did make, slowly became so important and valuable. I am thankful for those friends!

Now, being here in Charleston, I am feeling the same "hold back" feeling I felt before. Because Jasen watched my friends become so important in Germany (and maybe too important), he worries when I don't have friends immediately. And, he wants us to be involved in what everyone else is doing. I understand that, because it's been our modus operandi. But here, I am not feeling that need.

You know why I don't feel that need? On a small level, I feel like it's because I already have so many family/friends who I feel I neglect more often than not. I feel bad because the people I already love get slighted by me. But the most important reason I don't need to make friends, is that I have my best friend here with me. Jasen is finally here with our family with no impending deployment on the horizon. We can finally be a family of four, just enjoying each other. And for quite some time, that's all I have wanted.

Always Busy

You know, I wish I could tell you what we've been doing around here, but it seems to be a lot of nothing. Or maybe, because it's stuff we do all the time (Grace to school, Davis to school, Jasen to school, the gym, etc.) it just seems like nothing but it's actually a lot. Either way, we've been doing stuff, just not a lot to report.

Davis is making strides in the potty area. Woo-hoo! He even kept his diaper dry at school on Tuesday and went potty there! Yea!! So we're keeping it up and quite excited about this development.

I have to tell you that Davis is showing more and more of his personality and it's so much fun. He's just so funny in "I don't mean to be funny" ways. It's just in the way he walks around and talks to us all.

I think I am going to go to the doctor for some blood tests. As much as I've been working out and eating better, I have lost ZERO weight. I am also tired all the time. I've had my thyroid tested in the past because three of the five closest female relatives (sister, mom, grandma) all have thyroid problems. It's never shown any issues in the past, but I just can't help but think there is something else going on in my body. Also, a friend and I were talking not long ago about how I haven't ever recovered my original energy level since I had mono in high school. Anyway, pray for wisdom for me and the doctor. If I even see a doctor....

Jen and Tripper

We had a great visit with my old friend, Jen, and her baby boy, Tripp. I'll admit, we didn't do as much as we should have, but there's just so much to do down here! Anyway, they arrived on Friday afternoon and we went straight downtown. We went to part of The Citadel parade, which was neat. But I have to admit it has nothing on the Corps of Cadets at A&M! I'm not partial or anything!

Then we went down to Cupcake because I had promised Grace and Davis a treat! Of course, we all had to have one and they were delicious, as usual. Then we came home and I made dinner.

Saturday, Jasen had a prayer breakfast and football so we waited to go downtown. Jasen graciously took care of our kids while Jen and I took Tripp to sightsee. We went to eat at the Noisy Oyster. I'll admit, it's probably a tourist trap, but we liked the food. Jen got her first taste of fried green tomatoes (she liked them!), Tripp tried grits (he liked them!), and I struck up a conversation with the Germans at the next table!

We went shopping at the market, of course and just walked a little downtown. Again, we didn't do anything really specific or fun. I kept thinking that maybe if I didn't show Jen too much, she'd need to bring her Jason and their older kiddos with her next time! We drove across the Ravenel bridge and then went down to the park on Battery. We went into the courtyard of a bed and breakfast downtown and took some pictures. It was a gorgeous day and the scenery was great, too. We went to Wal-Mart then to Crosby's seafood where I got some local shrimp, then came home and made dinner. We watched the first part of the Tech/OSU game, then went to bed.

Sunday, it was off to church, which was unusual, then brunch at a new place (Mimi's Creekside) which was delish, as usual! Then we came home for, um, nothing! Wow, I think I owe Jennifer an apology because we did next to nothing during her trip! But I was glad to have her and Tripp here. I got my baby fill and got to visit with a friend who knows me so well. Yesterday, we even made her use her Psych degree in the form of marital financial counseling! :)

Thank you, Jen, for coming to see us!

Pics Galore

I have a million pictures to post of the past few weeks. Of course, they are in reverse order, so bear with me! I hope you enjoy! I'll post more real stories soon.

Here is Grace and Osso, the dog she loves, loves, loves.



And Davis is with Bullet, who weren't quite as fond of each other as Grace and Osso!

The kids and the dogs

Granny and Papaw try some Cajun flavored boiled peanuts. They aren't too bad! Much better, in my opinion, than the just salted ones.

Jasen, Sara, and Grace on the piazza of the Edmondston-Alston house in downtown Charleston. It looks right out on the harbor.

Granny and Papaw get ready for the tour.

Grace with her "I Spy" list. This house was awesome, because it provided kids with something to do. They looked for items inside and outside the house to cross of their list. It was right up Grace's alley!

Sara, Grace, and Jasen on the joggling board. We want one!

Jasen, Grace, Granny, and Papaw in front of the Edmondston-Alston house.
Davis says goodbye to Granny before heading off to school.
The kids check out some of Granny's videos of the dogs when they were puppies.

Granny, Grace, and Papaw at Easterbys.

Sara, Jasen and Grace at Grace's Awana awards ceremony. Grace now has her "Hang Glider" badge! She memorized 7 verses and is going to memorize more!

Davis and Grace say "Ta Da!" at the Angel Oak. yes, those are limbs going into the ground and coming back out. It was awesome!

Jasen, the kids and the great-grandparents at the Angel Oak.

Look at how big the Angel Oak is!

Davis the welder!

Jasen "plays" with the dogs. Some would say he is antagonizing them!
Our "new" mantle clock. It was Lori's and Granny and Papaw had it repaired for us. It chimes and everything! We feel like such grown-ups with our mantle clock chiming away!

Yes, that would be Osso in the stroller!

Grace smothering Osso with love! Or is that Bullet?
Our cowboy and black cat on Halloween!
Grace says "Meow!" Do you see her claws??
Davis is really saying "Yee haw!" He would take his hat off and wave in front of his face!
Jasen, the terrorist. We were so proud....not!

Carving the pumpkin

Grace is the smartest yardworker I have ever seen!

Grace and her classmates on the Junie B. field trip

Grace Loves Mrs. Branch!

Our own little Junie B., complete with glasses, at the Junie B. play.
Go Cowboys!
Davis sleeping with his fire truck

And his cowboy hat!